By Benjamin West. Said to be depicting an incident during the Battle of Lake George the background fortress is interesting - maybe generic? Picture and description here
Figures in the background are thought to be 60th Royal Americans - though they weren't present at the Battle of Lake George. It looks like they have the GR cypher on their caps. The figure on the left is wearing a red waistcoat - could he be one of Gage's Regiment?
Thanks for publishing the picture and the link. I would be inclined to question the Lake George attribution. Although it is not certain it seems more likely that it represents the battle of La Belle Famille at the siege of Niagara in 1759 rather than Lake George in 1755. See the discussion in B.L. Dunnigan: Siege 1759: Tha Camapaign against Niagara pub by the Old Ft Niagara Assn.
ReplyDeleteLight companies from the 60th, 44th and 46th occupied a log 'entrenchment' which lay to the east side of the Niagara portage road on the night of the 23rd/24th July. One of the LI men has blue facings (i.e. 60th) and the other yellow - this works for either the 44th or the 46th. In the background are redcoated infantry drawn up before a fort - this again works for the idea of a sieg conducted by regulars.
IIRC Lake George was fought by New England provincials who for the most part were dressed in civvilian attire (apart perhaps from some troops from Massachusetts who were in blue faced red).
Overall an excellent blog by the way. Loved the Ron Embleton link, I remember a series I think he (or possibly Gerry) illustrated in Look & Learn back in the early 70s on the story of Rogers Rangers.